Apoptotic effect of astragalin in melanoma skin cancers via activation of caspases and inhibition of sry‐related hmg‐box gene 10

You, Ok Heui,Shin, Eun Ah,Lee, Hyemin,Kim, Ju‐,Ha,Sim, Deok Yong,Kim, Jung Hyo,Kim, Younghwan,Khil, Jae‐,Ho,Baek, Nam‐,In,Kim, Sung‐,Hoon Heyden & Son 2017 Phytotherapy research Vol.31 No.10

Surface characteristics of titanium–silver alloys in artificial saliva

Shim, H. M.,Oh, K. T.,Woo, J. Y.,Hwang, C. J.,Kim, K. N. Heyden & Son 2006 Surface and interface analysis Vol.38 No.1

<P>Titanium and its alloys are widely used in biomedical and dental fields because of their excellent corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. It is well known that titanium is protected from corrosion because of the stability of the passive film that controls and determines the corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of titanium and its alloys. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the electrochemical properties of titanium–silver alloys and the surface characteristics of passive film in artificial saliva.</P><P>We designed titanium–silver alloys with silver contents ranging from 0 to 5 at.%, in 1% increments. These alloys were arc-melted, homogenized, hot-rolled to 2 mm thickness, and finally solution heat-treated for 1 h and quenched. Potentiostatic testing was performed, and the open circuit potentials of the alloys were measured in artificial saliva, at 37 °C. The passive films of the titanium–silver alloys were analyzed via XPS.</P><P>Titanium–silver alloys maintained low current density and showed stable passive region and also had high open circuit potential as compared with pure titanium. The open circuit potential of titanium–silver alloys increased as silver addition increased. With regard to the fraction of oxygen species, a component of over 80% was found to be comprised of oxide. Therefore, the titanium surface mainly consisted of titanium oxide and, on the titanium–silver alloys, this film was composed of TiO<SUB>2</SUB>, Ti<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB>, and TiO. As silver content increased, the TiO<SUB>2</SUB> fraction also increased, as did the thickness of the titanium oxide layer formed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</P>

Identification of campesterol from Chrysanthemum coronarium L. and its antiangiogenic activities

Choi, Jung-Min,Lee, Eun-Ok,Lee, Hyo-Jung,Kim, Kwan-Hyun,Ahn, Kyoo-Seok,Shim, Bum-Sang,Kim, Nam-Il,Song, Myoung-Chong,Baek, Nam-In,Kim, Sung-Hoon Heyden & Son 2007 Phytotherapy research Vol.21 No.10

<P>Campesterol, a plant sterol in nature, is known to have cholesterol lowering and anticarcinogenic effects. Since angiogenesis is essential for cancer, it was surmised that an antiangiogenic effect may be involved in the anticancer action of this compound. This study investigated the effect of campesterol on basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-induced angiogenesis in vitro in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and an in vivo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model. Campesterol isolated from an ethylacetate fraction of Chrysanthemum coronarium L. showed a weak cytotoxicity in non-proliferating HUVECs. Within the non-cytotoxic concentration range, campesterol significantly inhibited the bFGF-induced proliferation and tube formation of HUVECs in a concentration-dependent manner, while it did not affect the motility of HUVECs. Furthermore, campesterol effectively disrupted the bFGF-induced neovascularization in chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) in vivo. Taken together, these results support a potential antiangiogenic action of campesterol via an inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation and capillary differentiation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</P>

In Vivo radioprotective effect of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer and identification of active ginsenosides

Lee, Hae June,Kim, Se Ra,Kim, Jong Choon,Kang, Chang Mo,Lee, Yun Sil,Jo, Sung Kee,Kim, Tae Hwan,Jang, Jong Sik,Nah, Seung Yeol,Kim, Sung Ho Heyden & Son 2006 Phytotherapy research Vol.20 No.5

<P>This study evaluated the effect of water extracts of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer (PG), panaxadiol (PD), panaxatriol (PT), ginsenoside Rb<SUB>1</SUB>, Rb<SUB>2</SUB>, Rc, Rd, Re and Rg<SUB>1</SUB> on jejunal crypt survival, endogenous spleen colony formation and apoptosis in jejunal crypt cells in gamma-irradiated mice. Jejunal crypts were protected by pretreatment with PG, Rc and Rd. Administration of PG, PD, Rd and Re prior to irradiation resulted in an increase in the formation of endogenous spleen colonies. The frequency of radiation-induced apoptosis in intestinal crypt cells was also reduced by pretreatment with PG, PD, Rb<SUB>2</SUB>, Rc, Rd, Re and Rg<SUB>1</SUB>. In experiments on the effects of the individual ginsenosides, the rank order of activity was Rc > Rd > Rg<SUB>1</SUB> > Rb<SUB>2</SUB> > Re > Rb<SUB>1</SUB> on intestinal crypt survival assay, Re > Rb<SUB>2</SUB> > Rd > Rg<SUB>1</SUB> > Rb<SUB>1</SUB> > Rc on the spleen colony formation assay, and Rg<SUB>1</SUB> > Re > Rd > Rc > Rb<SUB>2</SUB> > Rb<SUB>1</SUB> on inhibiting the death of cells caused by apoptosis. The results indicated that Rc, Rd and Re may have a major radioprotective effect in mice irradiated with high and low doses of radiation. When the same experiments were performed using PD and PT, it was observed that most of the inhibitory effects came from PD rather than PT. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</P>

Chemical composition and antibacterial activities of the essential oil from Abies koreana

Jeong, Seung-Il,Lim, Jong-Pil,Jeon, Hoon Heyden & Son 2007 Phytotherapy research Vol.21 No.12

<P>The essential oils from an alpine needle leaf of Abies koreana, which is a species native to Korea, was obtained by hydrodistillation with 0.9% (v/w) yield and analysed by GC and GC-MS. Sixty-eight constituents, accounting for more than 95.9% of the total oil composition, were identified. The main compounds with concentrations higher than 3% were borneol (27.9%), &agr;-pinene (23.2%), &bgr;-pinene (5.8%), terpinene-4-ol (3.8%), bornyl acetate (3.4%) and &agr;-terpineol (3.1%). The antibacterial activity of the oil was evaluated against nine microorganisms using disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods. The essential oil exhibited some broad spectrum antibacterial activity against the tested organisms, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</P>

Investigation of improved adhesion between Cu film and polyimide by the PSII-EIAMAD technique

Lee, Yeonhee,Hong, Ju Hi,Chun, Hyejin,Han, Seunghee Heyden & Son 2006 Surface and interface analysis Vol.38 No.4

<P>Plasma source ion implantation (PSII) is a relatively simple and effective ion implantation/deposition technique for the surface modification of materials. In PSII, a substrate is immersed in the plasma, and negative, high-voltage pulses are applied to accelerate ions into the substrate in order to modify the surface properties of materials.</P><P>PSII technique combined with energetic ion-assisted mixing and deposition (EIAMAD) was used to improve the adhesion between the Cu film and polyimide. Cu films processed with ion-assisted mixing showed higher adhesion strength than that of not processed or plasma-cleaned ones. Cu films on polyimide substrate were deposited by using different ion species to investigate the ion effect on the interface mixing. Argon ion bombardment led to more adhesive and gradient layers as a function of ion energy and ion dose. The adhesion strength was determined by the 90° peel test. The characterization of Cu-deposited polyimide, generated with ion-assisted mixing by PSII, was performed by AES, SEM, and AFM. Our results suggested that PSII-EIAMAD was a very useful method to grow Cu films with good adhesion properties on polyimide at room temperature. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</P>

Antiinflammatory activity of an herbal preparation (HemoHIM) in rats

Jo, Sung Kee,Lee, Hae June,Kim, Se Ra,Kim, Jong Choon,Bae, Chun Sik,Jung, Uhee,Park, Hae Ran,Jang, Jong Sik,Kim, Sung Ho Heyden & Son 2007 Phytotherapy research Vol.21 No.7

<P>This study evaluated a new herbal preparation, HemoHIM, for its antiinflammatory activity against carrageenan-induced edema, the formation of granulation tissues by cotton pellet and experimental colitis by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). The HemoHIM was prepared by adding its ethanol-insoluble polysaccharide fraction to the total water extract of Angelica Radix, Cnidii Rhizoma and Paeonia Radix. The preparation (4 mg of solids/mL of drinking water, p.o., 50–100 mg/kg of body weight, i.p.) produced a dose-related inhibition of carrageenan-induced paw edema and cotton pellet-induced granuloma in rats. In addition, HemoHIM also reduced the degree of TNBS-induced colitis and improved the gross and histological changes such as thickening, dilatation, ulceration, and infiltration by polymorphonuclear leukocytes and multiple erosive lesions. These results demonstrate that the HemoHIM has a potent antiinflammatory effect. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</P>

Chemoprevention of Scutellaria bardata on human cancer cells and tumorigenesis in skin cancer

Suh, Seok-Jong,Yoon, Jong-Won,Lee, Tae-Kyun,Jin, Un-Ho,Kim, Sun-Lim,Kim, Myung-Sunny,Kwon, Dae Young,Lee, Young-Choon,Kim, Cheorl-Ho Heyden & Son 2007 Phytotherapy research Vol.21 No.2

<P>Scutellaria barbata D. Don (Lamiaceae) (SB) is a perennial herb, which is natively distributed throughout Korea and southern China. This herb is known in traditional Chinese medicine as Ban-Zhi-Lian and in traditional Korean medicine as Banjiryun. SB has been used as an antiinflammatory and antitumor agent. The SB showed strong growth-inhibitory activity and cancer chemopreventive activity in assays representing three major stages of carcinogenesis. The SB was found to act as an antimutagen; it mediated antiinflammatory effects; inhibited cyclooxygenase and hydroperoxidase functions (antipromotion activity). In addition, SB inhibited the development of preneoplastic lesions in carcinogen-treated mouse mammary glands in culture and inhibited tumorigenesis in a mouse skin cancer model. On the other hand, an inhibitory effect of SB on the growth of gynecological cancer cell lines such as HeLa cell and human ovary cancer (HOC) was shown. When HOC cells were treated with SB, the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 was inhibited. These data suggest that SB merits investigation as a potential cancer chemopreventive agent in humans, especially in gynecological cancers. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</P>

Vasorelaxant effect of stilbenes from rhizome extract of rhubarb (Rheum undulatum) on the contractility of rat aorta

Yoo, Mi Young,Oh, Kwang-Seok,Lee, Jung Won,Seo, Ho Won,Yon, Gyu Hwan,Kwon, Dae Young,Kim, Young Sup,Ryu, Shi Yong,Lee, Byung Ho Heyden & Son 2007 Phytotherapy research Vol.21 No.2

<P>The vascular relaxant effect of the rhizome extract of Rheum undulatum was evaluated with isolated rat thoracic aorta preparations. The methanol extract of the rhizome induced a concentration-dependent relaxation of aortic preparations precontracted with 0.3 µm phenylephrine (EC<SUB>50</SUB> value: 5.8 µg/mL). The activity-guided fractionation of the extract led to the isolation of seven hydroxystilbene components as active principles, i.e. piceatannol, resveratrol, desoxyrhapontigenin, rhapontigenin, piceid, rhaponticin and ϵ-viniferin. Of these, piceatannol, a tetrahydroxystilbene, exhibited the most potent vascular relaxant effect in rat aortic preparations (EC<SUB>50</SUB> value 2.4 µm). The vasorelaxant effect of piceatannol on endothelium-intact aorta rings was diminished completely by the removal of functional endothelium or by pretreatment of the aortic tissues with N<SUP>G</SUP>-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester. These results suggest that piceatannol may be the major mediator responsible for the vasorelaxing properties of the rhizome extract of Rheum undulatum and the vasorelaxant effects of the piceatannol may be mediated via endothelium-dependent nitric oxide signaling pathway. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</P>

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase expression in activated microglia and peroxynitrite scavenging activity by Opuntia ficus indica var. saboten

Lee, Ming Hong,Kim, Jae Yeon,Yoon, Jeong Hoon,Lim, Hyo Jin,Kim, Tae Hee,Jin, Changbae,Kwak, Wie-Jong,Han, Chang-Kyun,Ryu, Jae-Ha Heyden & Son 2006 Phytotherapy Research Vol.20 No.9

<P>Activated microglia by neuronal injury or inflammatory stimulation overproduce nitric oxide (NO) by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide anion, resulting in neurodegenerative diseases. The toxic peroxynitrite (ONOO<SUP>−</SUP>), the reaction product of NO and superoxide anion further contributes to oxidative neurotoxicity. A butanol fraction obtained from 50% ethanol extracts of Opuntia ficus indica var. saboten (Cactaceae) stem (SK OFB901) and its hydrolysis product (SK OFB901H) inhibited the production of NO in LPS-activated microglia in a dose dependent manner (IC<SUB>50</SUB> 15.9, 4.2 µg/mL, respectively). They also suppressed the expression of protein and mRNA of iNOS in LPS-activated microglial cells at higher than 30 µg/mL as observed by western blot analysis and RT-PCR experiment. They also inhibited the degradation of I-κB-α in activated microglia. Moreover, they showed strong activity of peroxynitrite scavenging in a cell free bioassay system. These results imply that Opuntia ficus indica may have neuroprotective activity through the inhibition of NO production by activated microglial cells and peroxynitrite scavenging activity. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</P>